Process of making granulated compound lye



GEORGE T. LENIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF MAKlNG GRANULATED COMPOUND LYE.

SPECIFIGA'LLUN xormmg part of Letters Patent No. 532,457, dated January, 15, 1 895.

Application filed October 2'7, 1 8 9 3.

fierial No. l=89,262. (No specimens.)

' State of -fen a fvlvania, hav-einvented a certain new and 'usei'ul Improvement in the Methods of Making a Granulated Compound Lye for Family Use, of which the following is a true and exact description.,'

My inventionrelates to the manufacture of a granulated compound lye for-family use' consisting of caustic soda and caustic potash and adapted for the manufacture of a good soap suitable for washing flannels as well as for general purposes.

Heretofore the preparation of such a grauulated compound has presented certain difficulties largely arising from the highly deliquescent nature of caustic potash andih'e most successful process for preparing such a compound known to me has been that described in the patent to V. J. Menzies, No. 345,714, dated t uly 20, 1886; Menzies grinding the caustic soda and caustic potash together and preferably first fusing them into a cake and then grinding the cake to produce the granulated lye. By this method Menzies was able to use a comparatively small percentage of caustic potash given by him, as from five to a maximum of twenty-five per cent, and the mixture was not as homogeneous as is desirable.

Now I have discovered that a compound of superior quality can be prepared by grinding the two ingredients separately and then thoroughly mixing together measured quantities in such a way as to thoroughly distribute the granules of caustic potash through the mass of caustic soda. Such a distribution will check or obviate the tendency of the caustic potash to deliqucsce and the compound should then be packed carefully in small packages of say, pound contents.

The highly deliquesccnt nature of caustic potash renders it dil'ficult to reduce it to a granular or powdered form without dcliquesceuce. lt is practicable however, to secure a dry granular caustic potash suitable for mixing with granular caustic soda, as above described, by the following treatment: I pour fused caustic potash into a sheet iron drum, :is is usual in putting up the substance for transportation, closing the package to exclude air and moisture. The caustic potash solidifies in the drum on cooling and, priorto grinding, the drum is struck repeatedly to break up its contents. Ithen tear open the drum and immediately emptyits contentsinto a grinding and sieving mill which should be worked as rapidly as possible to render the cold hard caustic to granular form. Treated in this way no deliquescence takes place in the caustic potash and the ground product can be mixed with the caustic soda as above described and with the result of forming a sufficiently permanent mixture or compound. I will note, however, that Iconsider it advisable to transport the ground caustic potash as promptly as possible to the mixing apparatus as the mixture is less likely to absorb water than the potash alone, and-such absorption is also less likely totake place if the canstic potash has absorbed no water or butlittle of it.

- By manufacturing my compound in the way described I'am enabled to safely use a much higher proportionate quantity of caustic potash in the compound than the maximum given by Menzies and I secure the most valuable and useful compound for use by using substantially equal parts of the two ingredients. This specific compound having proved most etficient in the manufacture of a soap hard enoughto cut into bars while at the same time to give a good lather, has excellent de'- tergeut properties and is well suited for washing wcolens. v

The compound before mentioned having the high percentage of caustic potash forms the subject matter ofanother application for a patent filed by me October 27 1893, Serial No. 489,261. I

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The method of making a compound for family use in soapmaking &;O., which consists in grinding caustic soda to the desired fineness, and grinding caustic potash to the desired fineness separate and apart from the caustic soda and with precaution to prevent deliquescence, then thoroughly mixing the independently ground caustic soda and potash together in the desired proportion in such a family use in soapma'king way as i0 p 'ed'une a h compounfi.

2. The method of makin omogeneons mixtureior g a eompounci fo ji 650. which consists in grinding caustic snda to the desired fineness, and grinding caustic potash to the'desired fineness separate an. caustiesoda and with deliquescence,

d apart from the precaution to prevent then thorou hly mixinsr siibently ground can stantialiy equal quantities of stic'sod'a in such a way as to pro mixtnreolg compqund U GEORGE ii mm. Witnessesz FISHER LEWIS, w R. SH'UL'ITZ;

and poiapsiitqgethei dnce a; B' inogeneqns the indgpen m 

